Police search for man who exposed himself, attacked woman mowing lawn

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend Police are searching for a man who exposed himself and attacked a woman who was mowing her lawn.

“He was exposed the whole time he kept trying to attack me.” Bobbie Skelton said.

Skelton says the incident happened around 1:30pm on Wednesday at her home on North O'Brien Street. She was in her back yard when she looked up and saw a man peering at her from a brush line behind her home.

“He was fondling himself. And that’s when I started screaming." She said. "(Then) He just ran after me.

Skelton says the man grabbed the back of her shirt, but she was able to get away. She ran into her home, let her dog out and called police. Thinking the man was gone, she went back outside to get her lawnmower and dog.

“When I come back out the second time, he was hiding right here. In the corner behind the house." She said.

At that point, Skelton says the man attacked again. She says he grabbed her shirt and threw her into the side of the home. She says the man took off when her pit bull charged from around the back of the house.

Aside from scrapes and bruises, physically, Skelton is fine. Emotionally, she says she's still scared. She believes the attacker could live nearby.

“Why is this man attacking me while exposing himself? There’s only one thing to think at that point.” She said.

Tonight, she's grateful her three kids were all at school.

“It was right before my daughter was getting off the bus and all I could think was what if this was one of my kids outside? You know?” She said.